All the Obvious Reasons
by The Allyphant
Summary: "You can't change your past. But you can let go and start your future." A tentative friendship between two people grows as one tries to find her past, while the other desperately tries to forget hers. (PMD, Faberry friendship, T for swearing)


Welcome to the weirdest, most awkward, most insane crossover of Pokémon and Glee.

Chapter One: A Storm at Sea

_Love is..._

When Rachel wakes up, she isn't sure why the sun is smiling so brightly. It's almost as if she had just _a little too much_ last night, and was now suffering the consequences of a hangover - but that can't be right. But what was right, if not that? Her eyes had clamped shut against the white light of the ball of fire up above, feeling detached from her body. There was a sense of exclusion, as if the throbbing of her body was not hers. As if the next wave of pain didn't make her feel like crying out in pain. No, it didn't feel like this ache was her own. It couldn't be, when the twinge began to disperse, and all senses began to fade...

...

If there was one thing that Quinn Fabray needed in her life at the moment, it was for everyone to _back off_ and leave her alone. Her auburn paws sauntered with purpose as she strode away from the Guild, a grim look set on her face as she forced the tears to stay inside of her. It wasn't her fault that Sunflora had been so intrusive this morning, with her blatant peppiness to top it off with. Quinn descended down the natural formation of stairs, past the Treasure Town Crossroads, and through the forest-filled road that would lead to the coastline. Huffing a small ember, she could all but stifle her growing frustration with the guild and its members as she felt solid ground underneath give way to a sandy beach, eyes watching as the orange sun set in the distance.

It was a few months back that Quinn - recently abandoned by her parents for reasons that shall remain unnamed - had come into the welcoming and outstretched arms of the Exploration Guild. The Vulpix had been shattered at the time, emotionally battered in a way that none of the friendly occupants could understand, despite their wanting to. They had encouraged her to open up and accept their help, but with distrusting glares Quinn had sent them away; how could they help if they didn't understand, and how could they understand if they're unable to identify with her? They didn't know her, they didn't know what she had gone through. The fox had kept an icy distance from the guild members, sneering with something akin to sadism at how forthcoming they were with strangers.

Yet... as the salty air of the ocean filled her senses, Quinn couldn't help but feel the isolation she had set herself up for. She settled into the warm sand and stared absently at the setting sun, its dimming glow still a sight to watch. Krabby resting on slabs of rock overhead had begun their daily routine of bubble blowing, and Quinn let out a small sigh she didn't know she was holding. There were so many times that the Vulpix had yearned to be like the bubbles floating thoughtlessly along the wind currents, catching the sun's rays and illuminating with brilliance. To simply go with the flow, mindlessly and without abandon? Without thoughts of judgment, or haunting negative thoughts? She laid on her side delicately (Arceus be damned if she allowed her hair locks to be ruined), a forepaw subconsciously reaching for the fragment of a rock held around her neck.

The fire type pawed at the rock as she spaced out, willingly partaking in the chance to just _be_, quietly enjoying the gentle lapping waves and the bubble-blowing Krabby. At this beach, no one bothered her, or expected anything of her, or wanted to get something from her. No one judged, nor complimented; she was _there_, and that was all there was to it. The gaping loneliness that is her life was filled for but a moment, and Quinn treasured the calm of the storm. She craned her neck lazily as she scanned the rest of the beach for any other spectators, and was surprised to find that there was an Eevee lying a little far off. _Weird how I didn't notice them before._ Feeling oddly at peace, she got onto her paws and began her promenade to the other Pokemon. It was only when she was a few feet away and noticed that the Eevee was lying face first on the ground and was suspiciously still that Quinn picked up her pace and hurried to see if they were all right.

Normally, and foremost, the fox would not be so quick to spring to someone's aid; why help someone if they wouldn't help her later on, or if she had nothing to gain? But to hell with it when you see a stranger practically dead on the beach. It just wouldn't be humane to leave them there, so with that incentive, Quinn had crossed the beach and now prodded the Eevee quietly. When no response came, the Vulpix's worry caused her to shake the (hopefully) unconscious body more roughly, inspecting her for any sign of struggle or injury. She noticed that the sand around the normal type was disturbed, giving hint that the Eevee had been moving in their sleep. There wasn't a faint battle scar or _anything_ really on the quadruped; this Eevee could not be a traveler, much less a battler. A small groan caught Quinn's attention, and with a small satisfied nod, she took a step back as the Eevee struggled to stand up. "Wha...?"

Quinn watched the stranger's eyes flicker towards her in question, then outwards to the ocean, before dragging themselves back to the sand beneath her paws... suddenly, her eyes became dilated as some realization came upon her, the Eevee raised a paw. She watched in amusement as the other female began to look up and down herself frantically, twisting her body and flicking her tail. "Is this the first time you've seen yourself or what?" Quinn asked in mild confusion when she turned on her.

"Yes! I mean, of course I've seen myself numerous of times, but this- _this_ can't be me! I _really_ must have had too much last night..." The Eevee began to talk incessantly, and while that could have easily annoyed Quinn to the point that she'd turn around and leave, she was by far intrigued, quite the opposite of begin annoyed. Her mind reeled in wonder at this odd Pokemon - where did she come from? What was she doing, unconscious on the sand? What was she even talking about-? "This could all just be an elaborate dream, having suffered from a fatal car crash, and I'm in a stretcher at this very moment!"

"Hold your tongue, Eevee, you need two people to have a conversation," she spoke evenly to the normal type, who was going to develop an aneurysm when they just awoke. Quinn gave a critical one-over of the fox-like Pokemon, making sure that there really wasn't any injuries (there wasn't) and that this Eevee wasn't complete off her hook (she's not entirely sure on this one). "Look, let's start from the beginning. I'm Quinn Fabray, and I'm a Vulpix." Something about this strange Eevee caused her to include her species in her introduction. "Now that that's out of the way, tell me who you are and why the hell you were sleeping on the beach."

...

"I'm Quinn Fabray." Rachel was actually glad for the authoritative voice of Quinn, despite how icy the question was. Her panicking thoughts were now beginning to collect and focus themselves into answering the Vulpix's inquiry. She would have gladly gave an extended response, if not for the fact that she didn't have an answer. It wasn't that she didn't have an answer, but more so that she didn't know anything... about herself. She tried to imagine when her birthday was, and it frightened her when she found out she couldn't recall the date. It was as if she were drawing a blank on an old memory that you know you should remember experiencing; but instead of merely _one_ memory, it was her entire past. Last night's events were a complete mystery to Rachel.

"... I take it that 'I don't know' wouldn't be a sufficient answer." Rachel meekly answered, and the look of displeasure crossing Quinn's face answered as such. For some reason or another, she thought that the sour look didn't fit on the pretty Vulpix's face, and she mentally seized for any form of a reply. "B-but, I do know that my name is Rachel. Rachel Berry. And that I was," her eyes dropped down to her brown paws, and scuffed a small paw full of sand. This was reality, just as real as the Vulpix before her. "a human. Funny, seeing as I'm obviously an Eevee, huh?" Rachel attempted to lighten to mood with a chuckle, but it only came off as awkward and the joke came out as flat. It was nothing short of a conversation killer.

"Funny." Quinn replied not long after, disbelieving eyes staring directly into hers. Rachel returned the stare with just as much intensity, although there was something about Quinn's eyes that caused her to look away in embarrassment. The silence engulfed the both of them, and she opened and closed her mouth many times, trying to find something to say. But what was there to say, when the fire type was going to gaze at her with such cutting precision? She finally gathered the courage to ask if there was something wrong with her (other than being a human-turned-Pokemon) when the body of the Vulpix was thrown onto her haphazardly. "Hey!" The sharp rebuttal of what Rachel assumed to have been a shove resonated from the Vulpix as she scrambled off of her and glared at the cause of the commotion.

"Hey yourself, whoa-ho-ho!" Rachel stiffened at the demeaning voice of the spherical floating purple _thing_, craters that protruded throughout its entire body giving off gaseous puffs of smoke. Quinn now stood at her side, a menacingly glower etched upon her face as a growl began deep within the fox's throat. Rachel shifted her gaze back to the purple ball and its companion, a blue bat that smiled sightlessly at them and laughed just as pompously. "Sorry 'bout that, sweetheart. When push comes to shove, I can't hold myself back!" The suggestive wink that he gave made her pull her lip back into a snarl, taking a step in front of Quinn protectively. Stranger or not, that is _not_ how you treat anyone for whatever reason.

"Rachel, you were a human up until the moment you woke up on the beach. What's to say about you defending yourself in a Pokemon battle? Stand back." Quinn instructed under her breath, and despite the sternness of her voice Rachel understood that she was concerned. _And she believes me._ Quietly noting that to herself, the Eevee halfheartedly stepped backwards to stand beside Quinn once again. They turned to share a look of fleeting perception; this time Quinn broke the stare to leer venomously at the other two. "I'm giving you thirty seconds to hightail it out of here."

"Heh-heh-heh!" The bat fluttered chaotically around the air, his forked tongue flicking about. "If you're gonna be a smartass, you have to be _smart_ first, or else you're just an ass, heh-heh! Am I right, Koffing?" He continued to laugh in a condescending tone as Koffing replied with a "course you're right, Zubat!" and proceeded to join in their laughter. Rachel felt the hackles on her neck rise threateningly, and imagined seeing herself as some animal baring its fangs. _Pretend this is all an complicated Broadway musical, Rachel, and these are merely annoying backstage actors._ Although as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't recall what 'Broadway' even was, or how this was supposed to console her. Quinn was now glaring daggers, small embers accumulating in her maw. "Say, foxy, ain't that your little treasure?" A small gasp from Quinn alerted Rachel that whatever was pointed out was indeed her little treasure.

Her eyes followed Quinn's until it came to a small rock upon the sand, a thin rope tied tightly around it. It honestly didn't look like much, but with the way that Quinn was reacting so strongly to the rock on the ground proved it was something very valuable. "Well, if you're too busy gawking to get it, I s'pose it's up to me to grab it for ya, whoa-ho!" Koffing bellowed rambunctiously, somehow achieving the task of retrieving the necklace despite his round body and lack of arms. The poison gas Pokemon held the necklace in his mouth and dangled it, and Rachel had an odd sense that if the ball of gas had eyebrows, he'd have been waggling them. "What, too scared to get it back? Thought you'd be more _exciting_, brat!" Rachel risked a glance to the Vulpix next to her, and was surprised to see how tight her jaw had become.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand, Koffing, these two reek of boring." Zubat stuck out his tongue before swooping uncontrollably past the two quadrupeds and disappearing into the depths of a cave just behind them. Koffing gave a grunt of agreement, and floated after the bat soon after, their eccentric laughter bouncing off the rocky walls. Once the noise subsided to nothing but the calming waves and distant caws of Wingulls, Quinn let out an exasperated sigh that stuttered unevenly. Rachel took a step sideways awkwardly, realizing that all this time they were standing so close that their fur touched and she could feel the Vulpix's heat emanate warmly.

Silence overwhelmed them until Rachel decided that Quinn had enough of beating herself up. "Come on, let's go after them and recover your necklace - it _is_ your treasure after all, Quinn. If I were you, I wouldn't give up on something so valued as easily."

"Who said I was giving up? Let's hurry," Quinn deflected easily, although soon she was peering into the beach cave and flicking her six tails anxiously. The Vulpix took the first few steps into the fissure before craning her neck and fixing her gaze onto Rachel. "And thanks, Rachel. This means a lot." She perked her ears at Quinn's expression of gratitude, feeling flustered as the fox turned around without another word and plunged into the cave. _...Right then._ Dispelling any earlier thought, she followed after Quinn, and found her paws beating against puddles of water, until the puddles of water became one large gathering of sea water. Had she mentioned yet how difficult it was to actually walk on fours, or how hard it was dragging around wet fur? Yeah, Rachel should definitely point that out, and calmly tell you that it is not a worthwhile experience. At all.

The cavern soon opened up to a commodious area, with one Vulpix distastefully flicking a paw free of water. "All right, Berry, this mystery dungeon is obviously full of water Pokémon who delight in _wetting_ themselves silly, so you have to take the lead." Rachel took a few dainty steps towards Quinn, a small murmur of disagreement rising - the fox, however, silenced her with a sharp grunt. "Don't worry about getting lost. I've never been into this cave myself, so my guess is as good as yours. Just follow the stench, and I think we'll be fine."

It honestly stifled Rachel for a moment at the precision that Quinn pinned her source of discomfort in leading the two of them into the unknown. As she nodded slightly with a dumbstruck expression and pressed forward through the cave's many tunnels, the Eevee found that she wasn't fazed with the actual fact of _leading_, just the fact that she might lead them incorrectly. Maybe leadership just came naturally to her in her forgotten life - or maybe, she had a high position of power and responsibility? The thought that she had accomplished something grand appealed greatly to her, though she found that a minor headache was beginning to pester her at the back of her mind, and relented to putting the issue aside for now. "So Quinn, we never did introduce ourselves properly. I'm Rachel Berry, a Pokemon that was once a human, who also forgot her entire past and any events that might have occurred." She heard a lighthearted scoff from behind her, and it really lifted Rachel's spirits when she knew that she had made Quinn laugh (it was a scoff, but it's close enough to a laugh, she supposed).

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rachel," Quinn said her name as if it were an inside joke, and she sort of wished that the Vulpix would say it just once more for the heck of it. "I'm Quinn, a Pokemon apprenticing under Wigglytuff's Guild... though I'm placing my bets that you didn't know that." They chuckled lightheartedly at Rachel's predicament, and she allowed what would have been a critical matter to pass. She continued to press through the watery caverns and tunnels without too much thought, instead just ambling about aimlessly. In the comfortable silence Quinn followed her without a word, and the Eevee took comfort that she trusted her enough to give her that privilege. "Try to find a way to get deeper into the dungeon rather than walking in circles, hm?"

Rachel looked back to see a partially amused Vulpix, though a veil of impatience was laying underneath the humor. She nodded in concurrence, realizing that the other female's brusque behavior must have sprouted from worry for her little treasure. _I don't really see what's so special about a little piece of rock._ She thought a little guiltily, starting to look for... stairs? As weird as it was, the Eevee found that the rocks of the 'dungeon' soon carved out to a painfully abnormal formation of a staircase. Quinn didn't seem to mind the oddity too much, and Rachel made an effort to follow suit, going down the flight of steps awkwardly. "I'm curious, Quinn, what's so exceptional about this rock? Sentimental value?" She questioned as she reached the next floor, glancing with curiosity at a sleeping Shellos. The Vulpix was just a pace behind her, the fox's amber eyes trained on the ground. "I know it's not my place to ask considering that I don't know much about myself, but it's odd trying to retrieve an item when I don't even know the reason for doing so."

"One moment, sweet cheeks," Quinn quipped, stepping forward as the weird pink Pokemon that was previously sleeping now awoke. Rachel perked at the endearment, but soon her attention was caught by Quinn darting forward with blinding speed, ramming into the opposing Pokemon roughly. At this point Rachel assumed that this was a water type and felt her nerves jump as it shot a Water Gun towards her companion. But with a quick barrel roll, a twist of the spine, and a spring to the side, Quinn had evaded the spout of water; she now attacked with a quick dash that seemed to make her invisible for but a moment, and head butted the Shellos (how did she know it was a Shellos? Not even she knew) - the poor thing fell on the floor, seemingly as if it was asleep again. "... Hm." Rachel gaped at her nonchalance, and had to shake her head and hurry to catch up to the moving Vulpix further ahead.

"Quinn Fabray!" Rachel's sharp call caused her to pause in her tracks, and the Eevee stepped beside her with an insolent gaze set in her eyes. "I don't care very much that you're the only person I know, but you do _not_ go around beating up defenseless and sleeping Pokemon! Honestly, I thought you were better than that." Near the end of her admonishment her voice had veered more towards sympathetic than anything else, but when she heard nor saw any reaction from the Vulpix, Rachel found irritation spurring her forward. "I know that perhaps in this world, social structure and morality may be different, but you're different."

"How could you possibly know that? We met, what, twenty minutes ago?" Her reply came off as blunt, dull, as if she had detached herself from this entire situation. It was so weird that one moment, Rachel could have considered Quinn as a friend. But it was like the rose had bared its fangs and revealed its thorns. _Why are you pulling away...?_ "You know nothing about me. For all you know, I could be just like Koffing and Zubat. I could leave you all alone and probably never look back."

Callous hazel eyes were boring themselves into brown shocked ones, and an involuntary flinch coursed through her body. She was stupid to imagine that just because she lost her memory, and somehow transformed into a Pokemon, and only knew Quinn; how could she have thought that just because she had no one else to turn to, that the Vulpix actually liked her? It struck a chord in Rachel, and her insecurity slowly morphed itself into a gentle defiance. She was Rachel Barbra Berry - for some reason, that was reason alone for her to be anyone's friend. "No, you wouldn't do that. We've known each other for, what, _half an hour_," she pressed on the fact that their time spent together was longer than a measly twenty minutes. "and you care about things that others would have turned a blind eye. You can't fool me, Quinn. Normal people wouldn't even _begin_ to believe that humans can change into Pokemon. And you do. I'd even go so far as to say that you probably feel about everything stronger than others, or think about your words before saying them, a ra-"

"_Arceus_, Rachel, stop talking!" Quinn had cut into her speech, rigid eyes now replaced with annoyance, a welcome expression considering that it was an actual emotion showing on her face. She stared earnestly at Quinn, and saw a fleeting look of sorrow pass before she was back to being annoyed. "Look. I'm sorry that watching me beat up some 'defenseless' Pokemon disturbed you, but if we had waited any longer, that watery bitch would have attacked us itself. It's a fact that uncivilized Pokemon's first instinct is to protect its territory." Rachel gave an intent and searching look at the Vulpix, before she broke contract and an exasperated sigh. Quinn's voice had now become more softer, even apologetic, but Rachel didn't focus on that (entirely). "You honestly didn't need to blow this out of proportion by pointing out- by pointing out all of that about me. Seriously."

"Really? I think I can recall that it was you who was threatening to leave me behind and 'never look back'." She smirked as Quinn's eyes sparkled with laughter, even when the fire type didn't laugh aloud. Rachel was pushed softly towards another tunnel, not minding that much anymore that her fur was dragging downward heavily from the sea water. And rank of stinky dogs. And of football players after practice. The Eevee roamed this beach cave, finding another staircase and going down.

Silence followed them as a constant companion, before Quinn spoke. "I found it a while back. It's what inspired me to become an adventurer." Rachel looked at her with a huge question mark marked on her head. _What?_ "Your earlier question. I wasn't able to answer before." A Chimecho had begun hopping towards them, its chiming of its bell ringing clearly as the two of them took offensive positions. "It doesn't look important, but it has this inscription on it - some sort of insignia that I've never seen before!" The two of them charged in unison, side-by-side, and tackled the yellow bell. Rachel even took the initiative and batted at the Pokemon with a well placed paw, causing it to stagger backwards before it fell onto its back with finality. They resumed walking like it was nothing, although as they passed she whispered an "I'm sorry" to the little bell. Quinn scoffed and Rachel glared at the Vulpix childishly, before she allowed her friend to continue. "_Anyways_, just imagine finding where it came from? What if it's an ancient fragment of something larger than reality? Or a key to a place that hasn't been touched in generations?"

Her eyes shone with such fervor that Rachel herself was beginning to get swept up in the momentum. "Rachel, it's a ticket out of the little town I've lived in all my life. I can move out, start anew, start out fresh. I can discover things that people have never _dreamed_ of existing..." Quinn had caught herself rambling, and looked at Rachel with guilty eyes, though there was no regret. "Although you're probably not interested in exploration when you need to learn more about yourself first." She flashed a rare smile of embarrassment, and Rachel returned it with a grin of her own.

"I find your passion awesome, Quinn." Now it was time for Rachel to be flustered, but instead they shared a look of understanding; she took great delight at how easily they just _got_ each other. "All right, Q. Let's find those crooks and make them pay their dues!" She started down another flight of stairs, catching Quinn's roll of her eyes at her dramatic declaration for justice.

So with that, the two of them took down rival Pokemon with their combined forces, playing off of each other silently. In their hushed expedition, Rachel found herself trusting Quinn. And she had a feeling that was a two-way street.

"Either you two are high or you two got it on, heh-heh-heh!" A nasally voice of that Zubat resonated as they finally stepped into the final cavern, the dungeon opening up to the rest of the ocean, a sun setting it alight with brilliant colors. Rachel would have been mesmerized by the beautiful picture had it not been that the blue bat and purple floating ball were ruining the picture. "But it looks like we've been caught red-handed, Koffing, heh!" He laughed rambunctiously.

"True that, Zubat, whoa-ho-"

"You will return that treasure of my friend to her immediately. I am through and frankly a little tired following you through this dungeon - which is _suicide_ for anyone with long fur such as myself. And we're going to retrieve that Relic Fragment with or without your consent, thank you very much." Rachel did her best Justice Will be Served glare, raising her chin and sending a condescending look despite being at a shorter stature. Their little adventure through Beach Cave (they both agreed that this was the best name for the place) had shown that Quinn was an odd cookie. An odd, lemony cookie; if she wasn't baked right, she'll be sour or too hard to bite on. But with the correct mix and good handling, she could be the greatest cookie to have been eaten. The Eevee obviously did not find anything wrong with imagining her friend as a desert she couldn't remember ever baking.

"Really now, whoa-ho? You're seriously going to go against us? Whoa, that's new, hot stuff!" Koffing bumped into Zubat like this was funny, and it was Quinn's turn to step forward. Rachel watched the Vulpix with her dead set features, a fox about to throw the last blow. She was a completely different persona that what she was five minutes ago. She participated in a glaring match with Koffing, before the poisonous ball averted his gaze. It surprisingly made Rachel split into a grin, and she stood next to Quinn as she smugly looked at the poison types. "Yeah, well, come and get it back, freak shows!"

"Rachel, I could use a Helping Hand here," she nodded without further question, falling into sync with the Vulpix. Just as the two dove towards them in an unorganized ambush, Quinn jumped over them, the Eevee following suit. As they landed Quinn let out an Ember, and with Rachel's assistance the ember had become twice as large. It hit Koffing and left a burn on him, and with a quick nod to Quinn, Rachel had charged towards Zubat. "Feint to the right." The bat had just seen his partner in crime get burned (physically and mentally), and decided to try and throw a Confuse Ray. But the Eevee had gone to his right, and the Vulpix had gone to his left, and he was left with no particular target. "Now!" A brown paw hit him with a sucker punch, and he fell on the floor unevenly. The attack was quickly succeeded with barrage of tackling, and the Zubat had been finished off before it began.

"Whoa-ho-ho. Let's call it off and I'll give you that damned rock!" Koffing said in a pathetic pout, and Rachel shared a look with Quinn. This was too easy, just a little easier than the Pokemon they faced in the actual dungeon. He threw the little rock onto the ground in front of them, floating over to his bat friend. Quinn was looking at her with questioning eyes - she was at a loss on what to do. She brushed her fur against Quinn's, her eyes alight with a dangerous glint. _Fuck morality, Quinn!_ The challenge was clear to the Vulpix, and together they looked at him in unison with mischievous smiles. "Ah... I didn't think that."

...

"Time sure passed quickly, Quinn." The two of them had exited Beach Cave in triumph, the Relic Fragment around Quinn's neck as a good reminder of their recent success. The two of them now sat together on the beach, watching the sun set ever slowly. The Vulpix rested her head on her forepaws, unfocused eyes staring into the ball of inferno so far away. When quiet had finally settled upon the two of them, she was mildly shocked to find that she didn't mind having Rachel in her company. Although the Eevee had no trouble in breaking the silence with an amazing recount of their beating up the duo, Quinn had laid next to her and digested the recent events. Truth be told, this was most likely the longest time since being kicked out that she hadn't thought of how ashamed she should be. She eyed Rachel and her exuberant voice, and watched with bated breath as the Eevee caught her looking. "Yes, Quinn?"

"I should thank you properly, Rachel. You really didn't have to help me out..." Her voice trailed off, a lump forming in her throat. Her eyes went to the sand below her, a paw digging into the warm grains beneath.

"Don't mention it. _You_ didn't have to help me when I was practically dead on this beach." A small smile graced Quinn, and she snuggled closer into the thick fur of Rachel's.

"Hey, Rach," a thoughtful expression was on the fox, and she watched as Rachel looked at her in question. "I know that you want to begin learning about yourself as soon as you can, but you have no place to begin, or a place to stay the night." The realization of that began to spread onto the Eevee as she began to panic. "But! I have a solution to this." A coy smile started to play on her lips, though she hid it as she continued. "Wigglytuff's Exploration Guild is open to anyone as long as they're not a convict, and willing to lend a helping hand. You're welcome to come with me and get into the guild."

Rachel's face contorted into confusion as she thought about it, then into caution about whether or not this was true, until she settled into a thankful air. "W-wow, Quinn, that's so kind of you. I... this isn't a trick, is it?" Quinn cocked her head, confusion now on _her _face. Why would she ever think that? _Am I that untrustworthy?_ "I feel like I've been tricked plenty of times in my past, Quinn, that's all. If anything, you're the nicest person I've met. And the most confusing one too."

"That's not fair, you don't remember anyone else." Quinn breathed a soft laugh, looking at the rock tied around her neck. Thank Arceus that they had managed to corner Koffing and Zubat, and that those two weren't that strong to begin with. Something about this little thing made her heart beat faster imagining it away from her - this little thing was the very emblem of why she partook in the guild activities, why she trained every day, why she suffered what she did so that she was stronger.

"Do you think you'll really find the answer to your Relic Fragment one day?" Rachel asked simply, her eyes looking at the rock also.

"Yes, yes I believe we can." She paused when she realized that she had said 'we', and wondered if Rachel had caught it. _Of course she had._

"I'd love to go on epic escapades with you, Quinn."

"Oh, shut up."


End file.
